TY  - JOUR
TI  - A Reliable In Planta Inoculation and Antifungal Screening Protocol for Rhizoctonia solani-Induced Sheath Blight in Rice
AU  - Yasin, Alinaj 
AU  - Kashyap, Anurag 
AU  - Dowarah, Bhaskar 
AU  - Dey, Jyotishmoi 
AU  - Bharali, Sangita 
AU  - Nath, Bharat Chandra
AU  - Bhattacharyya, Pranaba Nanda
AU  - Sharma, Supriya 
AU  - Barua, Parinda 
AU  - Nath, Palash Deb
VL  - 15
IS  - 21
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/11/05
SP  - e5491
C1  - Bio-protocol 2025;15:e5491
DO  - 10.21769/BioProtoc.5491
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21769/BioProtoc.5491
AB  - Sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is a major fungal disease of rice that leads to significant yield losses globally. Conventional inoculation methods often fail to achieve consistent and uniform infection, limiting their applicability in antifungal screening studies. This protocol describes a reliable in planta inoculation method for R. solani using mature sclerotia placed at the internodal region of tillering-stage rice seedlings. The procedure includes step-by-step instructions for seed germination, seedling preparation, pathogen culture, artificial inoculation, and post-infection application of antifungal treatments, including botanical compounds such as Ocimum gratissimum essential oil and thymol. Lesion development is monitored and quantified over time, and data are analyzed statistically to evaluate treatment efficacy. The protocol is optimized for reproducibility, scalability, and compatibility with sustainable disease management approaches. It provides a robust platform for evaluating antifungal agents in a biologically relevant and controlled environment.
KW  - Rice
KW  - Rhizoctonia solani
KW  - Inoculation
KW  - Sheath blight disease
KW  - In planta
KW  - Antifungal
JF  - Bio-protocol
SN  - 2331-8325
PB  - Bio-protocol LLC.
BIO101  - False